Flexibility and velocity of the normal and impaired lumbar spine.

Trunk mobility, as defined by trunk angle, has long been considered an acceptable means to evaluate the degree of impairment in patients with low back pain (LBP). However, biomechanically, there is reason to believe that patients with LBP may exhibit significant sensitivity to trunk velocity of motion as well as angular mobility factors. An experiment was performed to study the trunk action of patients with LBP and of a normal control group.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: use of palmar stimulation of sensory fibers.

In early or mild carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), where the segment of median nerve sensory fibers is neurapraxic, stimulation of the nerve distal to the carpal ligament elicits a normal response in comparison to the segment of nerve across the carpal tunnel. In 100 hands of 50 normal adults, palmar stimulation of the median sensory fibers at 7 cm was compared to that at the wrist (14cm). Mean values for latency, amplitude, and duration were obtained, and palm/wrist ratios were calculated.

Sensory latencies to the ring finger: normal values and relation to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Sensory innervation to the ring finger (digit IV) is generally shared by the digital branches of the median and ulnar nerves. In 74 hand studies on 37 normal adults, all had a recordable response in digit IV upon stimulation of the median and ulnar nerves antidromically 14cm proximally to the recording electrodes. Comparing the median sensory latency to digit IV with the ulnar sensory latency to the same digit, the difference was 0.